


Formal

by Miranthia



Series: 30 Day Prompt Challenge [21]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, F/F, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Tempauthrien
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-19
Updated: 2017-12-19
Packaged: 2019-02-16 22:37:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13063608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miranthia/pseuds/Miranthia
Summary: "I knew right away that you were it for me, there were no reservations or second thoughts, I saw you in an instant and knew in my bones, my soul had known your soul lifetimes ago." --Beau Taplin





	Formal

_She absolutely hated going to these things, for a number of reasons, but mainly it was because she found them so tedious and boring. Most of the time, she could talk her way out of attending; being the youngest had its advantages. Admittedly enough she would usually go, only to offer moral support for her mother and father, and to represent the Cousland name when her brother was unable to do so. However she would complain about it, loudly, Fergus chuckling and poking fun at his baby sister._

_She saw no pleasure in getting all dolled-up anyway._

_Fergus was away on holiday with Oriana and her little nephew, Oren, so really she had no say in the matter as it were, but for some reason, unknown to even herself, she had wanted to go to this formal meeting. MUCH to her mother’s excitement. Eleanor accepted that her little girl was more of the ‘tomboy that couldn’t be tamed’ type; she loved that to bits and pieces about her and wouldn’t have it any other way. But she jumped at the opportunity to dress Temperance up for some formal occasion, no matter how much the girl whined about it. She wasn’t completely fooled though; she knew Temp liked it when her mother had the opportunity to do this. Girl-time with mother was always fun, no matter what._

_When she found out that Ser Gilmore would be coming along, she was a little more excited about going. He was her best friend after all, and while the two were not officially a couple, she figured she would be marrying him one day. Their relationship, of sorts, was not exactly something that could be public; she a woman of nobility, he a Knight in her father’s company. Despite that, she was fairly certain her parents were aware of it, and they made no move to protest. Of that she was very grateful_

_When her father squeezed her hand as they were approaching the carriage, and told her Sparrow could come along, she was ecstatic. The mabari had sat outside the gate as he watched his mistress leave, his ears drooping sadly. At the sound of the short, shrill whistle he bounced out of his puppy-depression in a flash, his happy barks bouncing off of the walls of the castle as he ran towards his family to hop up in the carriage with them._

_“Pup, I am warning you now; if that dog of yours causes any trouble, he will have to sleep outside for a week.” Bryce said as sternly as he could, though the faint smile hanging on the corner of his lips gave him away._

_Temperance grinned and kissed her father’s cheek softly. “I know father. Don’t worry, Sparrow will be on his best behavior, I promise. Won’t you?” she added to the war hound, a dopey look on his furry face as his stubby tail wagged happily away._

_Both her mother and father chuckled lightly, each reaching a hand out to scratch behind the silly animals ears. Bryce smiled and looked over at his daughter, his eyes twinkling in fondness. “You look gorgeous by the way, my darling. You always do your mother and I proud.”_

_“Absolutely.”_

_Temperance blushed lightly and grinned from ear to ear, feeling more like a little girl than a young woman. She cleared her throat and squeezed her father’s hand before doing the same to her mother. “Thank you, both of you. Word has it that this is not a typical council meeting. Is that so?”_

_Once again Bryce grinned and winked at his youngest, his wife rolling her eyes slightly beside him. “Oh Pup, I’m sure you’re not going to find this as boring as the usual meetings. Of that I am most sure of.”_

__

-o-

_It wasn’t the usual talk that rumbled through the dining hall that night._

_No bickering over land._

_No arguing over treaties or laws that should or should not be passed._

_No talks of war, or marching off, or trying to take over some monument somewhere out in the middle of the wilderness._

_Nothing of the sort. It was all just talk. Normal, everyday, “Hey haven’t seen you in years, how is the family?” talk._

_Which was completely fine with Temperance; she hated politics with a passion. As a Teyrn’s daughter, she was expected to know certain things and to pay attention during important meetings, but it was so hard to. All of the shouting, grumbling, cursing…..it just didn’t interest her. She knew she should pay attention, that it was important for her to, but she couldn’t. Plus, her father would break things down for her later. Or at least filled her in. She understood everything that went on, she just chose not to listen. Unless it involved her family directly, then things had a tendency to get out of hand._

_Be that as it may, she was still bored._

_She sat between her mother and father, Ser Gilmore standing behind them attentively, eyes scanning for any signs of a threat. Not that the probability of some crazed lunatic running in at any given point in time was very high, but one could never be too sure. There were very important people at this council after all. He smiled as he heard Temperance sigh slightly, and discreetly ran a hand down her back in comfort. The soft smile that crinkled the corner of her mouth was his way of knowing that she appreciated the gesture._

_Temperance leaned back in her chair and looked about the room, wondering when she would be able to slip away unnoticed. Her eyes scanned the occupants of the vast table, smiling quietly to herself as she watched their interactions. Movement at the head of the table caught the corner of her eye and she turned her head, a woman in armor walking towards Loghain. She studied her carefully, her face hidden mostly by shadow as she bent to whisper something into the General’s ear, dark brown hair the only visible trait. She didn’t remember ever seeing her before, but then again she had only met Loghain a handful of times, if not less._

_Ser Cauthrien exhaled slowly as she finished her patrol, making sure there were no unsavory beings hovering around the castle walls. Given her rank, she could have had any one of the soldiers do this instead, but she insisted on doing it herself. Plus, as much as she adored and looked up to Loghain, she preferred to stay out of any and all formal occasions as much as possible._

_Determining all was clear, she sighed and trudged back into the castle, her armor clinking as she walked on, the sounds echoing off of the stone walls. Already she wished to be back outside in the cool night air. That was one of the things she missed about home, about being a simple farmer’s daughter; she couldn’t go outdoors whenever she pleased. She couldn’t decide to take a lengthy stroll through the wilderness, or fish in the streams. She had too many responsibilities as a soldier, as an Officer. She shrugged the thoughts off however, and knew that, if given the chance to do it all over again, she would have chosen the same path._

_She strode towards Loghain’s chair at the head of the table as she entered the dining hall, stopping only to crouch down and give him her report. He nodded slowly and smiled, patting her gauntleted hand gently, satisfied with the results. Cauthrien straightened up, smiling faintly, as she looked over the table momentarily, both her gaze and her heart stopping. Her own hazel orbs were fixated on blue-green, and try as she might she couldn’t look away. The young woman, who she assumed to be the daughter of the Teyrn and Teyrna Cousland, looked to be around the same age as she, if not a little younger. Her blonde hair was back in an elegant bun, the light blue dress she was clad in bringing her eyes out even more. Cauthrien had never seen her before, but she felt as if she already knew her. Her world was spinning and her stomach was fluttering oddly, heat creeping up her neck to her cheeks. Their eyes locked for what seemed like an eternity, but in reality it was three seconds. The other woman looked away and the spell was broken, Cauthrien silently willing her racing heart to slow down._

_Temperance had suffered the same affect, and though she had hated to do so, she forced herself to look away. Her brow furrowed slightly, unsure as to what just happened. Her pulse was still racing, and her hands were shaking lightly. “Dear, are you alright?”_

_Her head snapped to attention and she looked to her mother, a smile coming to her face. “Hmm? Oh yes, I’m fine. I think I just need to go get some air, it is getting rather stuffy in here.”_

_Eleanor stroked her cheek softly and smiled at her daughter. “Go on then, I’m sure your father and I will be fine here with Ser Gilmore.”_

_“Listen to your mother, Pup. Just don’t stray too far.”_

_Temperance laughed slightly and got to her feet, kissing them both on the cheek. “I won’t, I promise.” Gilmore raised an eyebrow as she passed by him, Temp shaking her head slightly. He inclined his head towards her and smiled, returning his attention back to the Cousland’s._

_As Temperance excused herself from the dining hall she could feel eyes resting on her retreating back, a small blush creeping to her cheeks. She smiled slightly and chanced a look behind her, the brunette nowhere to be seen. Disappointment entered her gut and she shook it off, intent on finding the courtyard._

_Cauthrien watched Temperance leave, chewing on her bottom lip slightly. “Something on your mind, Cauthrien?”_

_She snapped her attention back to her General and shook her head. “No sir, not a thing.”_

_He studied her carefully, trying hard to mask the fondness in his voice as he dismissed his OFficer. “Why don’t you take a break and relax for a bit? Go get some fresh air. There are enough bodies in this room to fend off any attacker if someone were daft enough to try anything.”_

_Cauthrien smiled gratefully, something Loghain was only privy to. He was fond of the young woman, that much was clear; she reminded him of his beloved daughter. She bowed slightly and took her leave, motioning for several of her soldiers to take her place beside Loghain’s chair. Her feet automatically took her to the main hall and out the front door, the woman stopping to take in the cool night air for the second time that evening. A short whistle reached her ears and she looked off to her left, seeing the blonde woman from before, a mabari hound materializing out of the night to her side. Cauthrien smiled to herself as the dog barked happily, bouncing around the woman as she laughed and tossed a stick through the archway, the dog bounding off after it._

_“I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a happier hound in all my days.” Cauthrien said with a slight laugh as she approached the other woman, positive that her armor had given her away long before she had reached her destination._

_Temperance looked over at her and smiled, her stomach fluttering. “Aye, he’s full grown but I don’t think he’s ever been much more than a puppy. Fiercest war hound ever, yeah?”_

_“Oh I’m sure he’d tear into something, or someone, if they threatened you.”_

_“I dunno, he’d probably let anyone walk off with our castle as long as they scratched him behind the ears first.” They both laughed, Temperance nodding her head. “But yes, you are quite right.”_

_Cauthrien looked up at the star riddled sky, the moon enough light to illuminate the small courtyard below. She looked over at the blonde and smiled again. “You must be Lady Cousland.”_

_Temp wrinkled her nose at the title, a roguish grin on her face. “Again, with the formal titles. Please, just Temperance. Or Temp. ‘Lady’ makes me feel like a delicate little flower.”_

_The brunette laughed again, Temperance finding that she thoroughly enjoyed the sound as well as her smile, and moved to take her gauntlet off to take the extended hand. “Alright, alright. Temperance. I’m- **OOF**!” Before anything else could be said, one-hundred and fifty pounds of full-grown mabari threw itself at the brunette, knocking her off of her feet and onto the ground._

_For a moment panic filled Temperance, the young woman ready to drag the dog off of her even if it meant ruining her dress. Before she could do anything she realized the woman underneath her dog was squirming, squealing, and laughing. Temperance sighed in relief and laughed with her, slowly sinking onto the stone bench behind her. “Sparrow, come on boy get off of her! What has….you know, you’re pretty lucky. He doesn’t like strangers, at all.”_

_Cauthrien giggled and scratched the dogs sides playfully, trying to avoid the wet kisses to her face. She finally found the stick the dog had brought back and got his attention, tossing it back the way he had barreled in from. She sighed and laughed helplessly, still staring up at the night sky. “Well, that’s definitely one of the wettest greetings that I’ve ever gotten.” She sat up slowly, shaking leaves and grass out of her hair, pulling her gauntlets off to pick grass out of her armor._

_Temperance giggled and reached down to help her up, pulling the beleaguered woman onto the bench next to her. She brushed a leaf out of the brunette’s hair, her eyes sparkling merrily. “Yes well, I should thank you for that.”_

_“Oh?”_

_“My mother would kill me if I let him drool all over this dress.”_

_Cauthrien followed the woman’s eyes and noticed the saliva glistening in the moonlight. “Ah. Charming.” She looked up at Temperance, her hazel eyes searching the blue-green orbs in front of her, that same fluttering feeling in her stomach again. Her eyes trailed to her blonde locks, noticing that some of the shorter tendrils had escaped the elegant bun. Before she could think things through properly she reached a hand out and brushed the locks out of her face and pushed them behind her ear, fingers lingering on the soft skin._

_Temperance’s breath hitched in her throat slightly, her pulse racing once more. The brunette’s hand lowered, much to her disappointment, and she cleared her throat. “So, how about we try that again? I’m Temperance.”_

_Cauth smiled and took her hand, shaking it warmly. “Cauthrien.”_

_From that moment on, Temperance went to every formal meeting her father was required to attend._

__

-o-

_They didn’t say a single word as they hurried out of the servants passage, leaving the carnage behind them. Duncan kept his eyes glued to the back of the woman in front of him, trying to not let the guilt wash over him. Even the hound in front of her was quiet, the animal whining faintly every so often. No matter how bad he felt about the turn of events, what was done was done._

_There was no going back._

_They made the wilderness just after dawn approached, the land around them still fairly quiet as the creatures and animals within stirred from their slumbers. Temperance had been the one leading the entire time, but as soon as they stopped for a small breather Duncan took over, their long trek to Ostagar awaiting them._

_Still, she did not speak._

_By twilight all three were ready to stop for the day. Duncan settled them in a small clearing, disappearing for a moment and reappearing with a small bundle of branches in his arms. He really would rather not have lit a fire at all, because of the unwanted attention it may draw their way, but resolved that a small one couldn’t hurt._

_Temperance stood just out of range of the firelight, the moonlight illuminating the dark woods surrounding her. She stood with her arms crossed across her chest, shoulder leaning against a tree, Sparrow laying down next to her. Her eyes gazed out into the unknown, open but unable to take anything in. A twig snapped queitly somewhere behind her and she moved her head slightly, eyes still fixated on nothing in particular, though they had narrowed somewhat._

_Duncan stood behind the woman silently, for once unsure of what to do. He was at a loss, not quite sure what to say. What COULD he say? He had hated to leave as well, but if they hadn’t, they’d all be dead. He hadn’t had a choice. Then why did he feel as if this was his fault? He cleared his throat lightly, still not sure where to begin. “Lady Cousland, I- **SMACK** …”_

_Temperance had whirled around, hitting him with everything that she had. She glared at him, the older man keeping his eyes on her even though she had just struck him. “Don’t. Just don’t.”_

_Duncan searched her face with his eyes, feeling his heart break at the sight of her. Her young face was void of any emotion, save her eyes. Her eyes spoke volumes; volumes that did not contain the woman that he met just yesterday. It was if that woman had been erased completely. Rage, sadness, pain, regret, anguish, guilt….he could see it all in her eyes, the blue-green orbs bright with unshed tears. He had felt it all in her strike. Duncan merely nodded, his cheek throbbing dully in the back of his mind._

_Temperance glared at him, her brow furrowed and her throbbing hand balled into a fist at her side. “I want to make one thing perfectly clear, and I’m only going to say this once. I am not doing this for you. I’m not doing this for the ‘greater-good’. I’m not doing this for the King. I’m not doing this for the sodding sake of our country and the people that live in it. I am only doing this for them, do you understand? **Them**.”_

_He studied her carefully, the trembling in her voice barely audible and the tremors running through her body barely visible. He wondered if she would ever be the same again. Duncan hesitantly raised a hand to her face and brushed away the one small tear that had escaped her, leaning forward to kiss her forehead gently at the same time. “I know, my lady.” He took a step back and bowed to her slightly, turning to stride back to their dying fire._

_After that night she spoke to him on the rest of their journey, but only just._

__

-o-

Temperance strode through the encampment, taking in the sights and sounds and she strove to put off finding this Alistair for as long as possible. She needed time for herself, just one moments peace without Duncan watching her every step they took.

Just a breather.

She would not allow herself to break, not now.

Amid the bustling din of Ostagar, she heard a familiar bark somewhere off in the distance. Temperance headed in that direction instead, the people and din thinning out to a stand of trees along one of the walls. Her eyes landed on two familiar figures, and despite everything she could not help the faint smile that graced her lips.

Cauthrien giggled as she ruffled Sparrow’s fur fondly, the dog wallowing in the attention and loving every second of it. Her eyes moved to the figure that had approached them and they lit up, the brunette getting to her feet at once. “Temperance, I had no idea that you were here.”

The sight of the brunette put Temperance to ease a little, for a moment at least. She shrugged her shoulder slightly, patting her war hound on the head as he directed his attention to his mistress. “I had no idea I would be here, either.”

“Are you here on business?”

Temperance swallowed the small lump in her throat and furrowed her brow, not quite wanting to meet the other woman’s eyes. After a moment she finally did and released a sigh. “I am to be joining the ranks of the Grey Wardens.”

The smile on Cauthrien’s face faltered slightly, her brow furrowing as she studied the woman before her in depth. Something was wrong. Before her stood the same woman that she had first met four or so years ago, but at the same time it wasn’t. The twinkle in her eyes was gone; instead they were dull, guarded. She had witnessed a momentary flash of grief before it was gone. She didn’t smile. Her voice was flat, emotionless. Even the ring that she had been wearing not six months ago, their last encounter, was gone. Even so, Cauthrien knew it was still her Temperance. The blonde still had that same effect on her; the ability to make her heart race and her stomach flutter with barely a glance. 

Something terrible had happened to her.

But she was not going to press the matter. Something told her not to.

Instead Cauthrien smiled softly and reached out for Temperance, pulling her gently into her arms. She was pleasantly surprised when she encountered no resistance and wrapped her arms around the other woman. Temperance clung to her like she was the last solid being ever, her body trembling slightly. Cauthrien whispered soft words of comfort in her ear, even though she had no idea what had gone on.

She wouldn’t, for some time to come.

But until then, she resolved that she would be there for this woman no matter what, whatever the costs. Because four years ago at a formal meeting of the minds, with nothing more than just a glance, she had known that Temperance Cousland was the one person that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.


End file.
